


Another Shot

by afteriwake



Series: Can You Keep A Secret? [3]
Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Apologies, Awkward Conversations, F/M, Kissing, Lies, POV Wayne Rigsby, Post Episode: s01e16 Bloodshot, Surprise Kissing, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-18 21:06:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12396228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: Second chances are sometimes the best things in the world.





	Another Shot

**Author's Note:**

> And another one in this short series...

He didn't bring it up, and neither did she. Not for a few days, when she was a little less depressed about being fooled. He wanted to give her time. If it was just a fluke, he didn't want to know right away, but he didn't want it to linger, either.

She ended up bringing it up. They were on a stake-out, and he was paying attention to the suspect's house. He knew she was divvying up her attention between the suspect and him, but the atmosphere wasn't uncomfortable, so he just let it be.

"Should we talk?"

"About what?" he asked. He knew exactly what, of course, but he wanted to hear her say it.

"About...you know. The incident in the bathroom?"

"If you want to," he said.

"I guess I do." He pulled his attention away from the building and turned to her. This was important, and he felt he should give it more of his attention than he was currently giving it. "I...I guess I wanted you to know I really was going to kiss you."

He nodded. "I figured as much."

She took a deep breath. She started to say something else, but then stopped. "It wouldn't have made a difference, though."

"What do you mean?"

"It wouldn't go anywhere. It would have just been a kiss. I mean, there can't be anything between us."

He nodded slowly, not really wanting to continue this conversation. "Yeah," was all he said in response.

She looked at him but said nothing, turning her attention back to the house. "Hey, I think the suspect's leaving."

He turned his attention back as well. "Guess he is," he said, opening the door. Any reason to leave that conversation alone was a good one. It just made him depressed, thinking about how she wouldn't even give anything a chance between them. It was definitely a one-sided thing, he realized as he got closer to the suspect. And that was probably all it would ever be, and he'd better get used to it.

**\---**

Once they got the suspect dropped off and finished interrogating him, Lisbon ordered them to go home, since it was three in the morning and they'd been up since six. All he wanted was to go home and sleep for a few hours before getting up and doing it all over again.

"Rigsby, wait up."

He stopped and waited for Grace to join him. She stayed within reaching distance. Apparently, what she said earlier had settled things. At least on her part, there wouldn't be any awkwardness. He just hoped he could do the same, though he wasn't sure he could. "Yeah?"

She was quiet for a few moments as they walked towards the cars. He knew she was on the other side of the lot from him, so they would hit her car first. Part of him wanted to walk slower, see why she just had to talk to him, and another part wanted to hurry up and get home so he could have a drink and pass out.

Curiosity won out.

"I lied. Earlier."

He stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn't help it. There was only one real conversation that they'd had that day and if she lied...

"How?" he asked.

"If I had kissed you, and...maybe I would have seen how things went. Seen if there was something there. Maybe."

"I can live with a maybe," he said, a slow smile spreading on his face. It wasn't an open admission that she liked him in any way more than being a colleague, but it was a start. He could work with that. He started walking again, more slowly now, and waited to see what else she said.

"I just...I like my job. I don't want to lose it. But when I saw you, and then...I just..." She took a deep breath. "You're important to me. Probably more important than you should be."

"You're important to me, too."

"That's why you threatened him."

"Yes," he said with a nod. "I just told him I wanted you to be happy and I'd hurt him if he hurt you. More or less."

"I'm glad you did," she said. "And I'm sorry you did, too, because he hurt you."

"It could have been worse," he said.

"I keep thinking about that.," she said quietly. "That's why I...you know. Almost kissed you. It was not something I wanted to think about, and when I had to...it scared me."

They were almost to his car. "Well, I'm still alive, so it's okay."

"No, no it's not. Like you said, he could have killed you, and it would have been my fault."

He stopped again and faced her, putting a hand on her shoulder to get her to stop as well. "I'm _alive_. Don't drive yourself crazy thinking about if I could have gotten killed. I'm the one who took him into the bathroom, remember?"

She reached up and touched his face gently and everything froze in him. This was a pivotal moment, and he knew it. Something was going to happen. He was willing to let her make the next move, regardless of where it put them. "I'm sorry."

"Forget it, Grace."

"No, not about that." She stepped closer till there wasn't much of a gap between them. "I'm sorry I didn't kiss you."

He nodded slowly, not wanting to push, not wanting to ruin what could be a good moment. Or not...he couldn't read her right now, and it was starting to drive him nuts. "So..." he said quietly.

She didn't say anything, but she closed the gap between them and let her lips brush lightly against his, testing his response. It was immediate: he put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss slightly. When he felt her relax against him, he deepened it a little more, completely savoring the moment.

Finally, she pulled away and looked at him, slightly out of breath. "Now I wish I'd kissed you earlier," she murmured.

He smiled at her, the first completely contented smile he'd had in a long time, and laughed slightly. "Really?"

"Really," she said. She pulled away a little more until he let her go. "I should get some sleep. You too."

He nodded. "Yeah, we should. I'll finish walking you to your car."

She smiled at him and stayed close as they walked the rest of the way in silence. He didn't know where this was going to lead, if it was going to lead anywhere at all, but he was glad she was willing to maybe give things a chance. Like he'd said, he could live with a maybe.


End file.
